When developing a game, you may need to save a player’s run to a file so that you don’t lose their progress and they can return to where they left off. Similarly, when developing an online text editor, you may want to preserve the content that the user has written.
Indeed, there are many cases where we want to save the state of our application to restore it in the future. Two terms are used to define this process: serialization and deserialization.
During our penetration tests on web platforms, one of the main attack vectors we use most often to discover and exploit vulnerabilities is rate limiting.
Based on this principle, we believe that any web application will, sooner or later, be confronted with a traffic-generating attack. These can take several forms, but the main ones are the following:
Brute force is certainly one of the most trivial attack techniques. The main reason: the human factor remains the weakest link in the cybersecurity chain. Indeed, there is no need to carry out social engineering attacks or sophisticated SQL injection attacks to steal credentials because habits die hard: users’ passwords remain weak and therefore easy to guess. With the right tools, even the most novice attackers can compromise data and cripple the systems of large companies.
Server security is a major issue for companies. Indeed, being a central element in the functioning of all the components of an information system (applications, network, infrastructure, employees, etc.), servers are often the prime targets of attacks.
Over the years, social engineering attacks have become a reality for all companies, regardless of their sector of activity or size.
Beyond the technical vulnerabilities that are often exploited to gain unauthorised access to data and systems, the favourite entry point for attackers remains the employees of a company, most often via phishing attacks.
Network security is a major challenge for companies. Indeed, the growing importance of IT assets, the interconnection of information systems and their exposure have increased the risks of attacks. At the same time, information (data) is produced, processed, exchanged and exploited by systems and on networks that may be vulnerable in all their components or configuration: servers, workstations, segmentation, Wi-Fi, user access, applications, etc.
APIs are everywhere. In most IT systems (mobile applications, web platforms, cloud infrastructures, etc.) and in all sectors of activity, these programming interfaces facilitate the exchange of data and their availability to a wide audience, whether customers, partners, or employees. APIs are also the driving force behind the development and growth of connected objects, as they form the basis of the communication channels of IoT systems.
The security of websites (e-commerce websites, corporate websites, SaaS platforms and other web applications) is a major issue for companies. Being exposed to the public, these systems are naturally prime targets for attackers, who take advantage of numerous vulnerabilities in the features and other components: servers, data, third-party components, and other critical features such as authentication, session management or access control.
Logistics organisations are confronted to the challenge of relying on new digital solutions without compromising their security.
Facing a booming market, new technologies have indeed become a real performance lever. But their adoption brings increased cybersecurity risks with them. The concern is now to benefit from the advantages of these tools while protecting their information systems.
This is where a penetration test will help to strengthen the level of security, as it allows to verify the risk set by attackers on a given target. For a logistics company, it will assess the security of web solutions, control software, intelligent sensors, etc. against cyberattacks.
What are the priorities during a penetration test for a company in the logistics sector?
Here is an overview of cybersecurity issues we frequently encounter and that may be specific points of attention.
Providing access to the source code during a pentest has mainly advantages or disadvantages, depending on the point of view!
Here is our feedback, which relates in particular to web application pentests.